Van 'tortured' man had head injury

A man found dying in the back of a van after it was pulled over by officers died from head injuries, police said.

The man, in his 40s, was found by officers acting on a tip-off who stopped the vehicle in Sunningdale, Berkshire, at around 1pm on Wednesday.

After pulling the van over, four men tried to escape. Three were quickly arrested but officers had to use a helicopter to find and capture the fourth man.

Following the arrests, officers searched the white Mercedes Sprinter and discovered the critically injured man, who was "breathing shallowly". Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene at around 2pm.

Eyewitnesses said the victim was wrapped in bags and one officer at the scene remarked that he appeared to have been tortured.

Bystanders also said a sledgehammer, which may have been used to attack the victim, was recovered from the van by investigators.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said a post-mortem examination had found the cause of death to be from head injuries. Formal identification of the man will now take place on Friday.

He said detectives have been granted an extra 36 hours to question the four men who were all arrested on suspicion of murder and are aged 24, 26, 54 and 56.

The spokesman also said the matter had been verbally referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, as is normal procedure following a death during an incident where police are involved. It will be formally referred to them on Friday.

Police said no shots were fired by armed officers during the incident.